Arethas of Karyes

Arethas of Karyes, with the secular name Athanasios Giannakas, son of Apostolos and Maria, was born in 1888 at Litochoro in Pieria. He came in 1915 to the Vatopedi cell of Saint Haralambos at Karyes, under the virtuous hieromonk Savvas (d. 1923), and was tonsured a monk in 1919. His fellow struggler and later his elder was the monk Kosmas (d. 29 June 1965), from Karpathos, like their elder Savvas. Kosmas was born in 1877, came in 1898 and was tonsured in 1901. Kosmas kept the bookshop founded by his elder.

Arethas came to Athos from America, where he worked in the forests as a lumberjack, with two friends, George and Otto. George stayed with him, but somewhat envied him, at the prompting of the evil one; he then joined the community of Xenophontos, where he became a monk with the name Galaktion and had a peaceful end. Otto went to Dionysiou, where he was tonsured with the name Lazarus and was distinguished by obedience; they say he never grieved anyone. Arethas at first had as confessor the hieromonk Kosmas of St Anne's (d. 1923); to confess he left Karyes at dawn, walked many hours and returned to his cell at midnight. His virtue, devotion and knowledge helped the fathers and pilgrims of Karyes; he knew English and assisted many foreign visitors. He was consoling and helpful to others; speaking with him, your sadness left you. He was very studious and loved reading; he advised the young to read attentively so that their minds be enlightened. He reposed in the Lord at the beginning of 1965, after seven years of illness, a stroke that left him bedridden, served with love by his elder Kosmas. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.